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ETCETERA < Plasma donation brings in easy money by Ann Marie Miani ETCETERA EDITOR Plasma donation is a popular activity among college students. Why? Because it’s a good way to make a quick buck. However, besides the moneymaking side, plasma do nation can help hundreds of thousands of people who suffer from many afflictions. “It is used for burn victims, for people during surgery. It [plasma] makes vaccines for hepatitis, for ra bies, for tetanus. It is used in diagnostic kits to test other products for HIV and hepatitis,” said Samuel Long, center manager of Nabi Biomedical Center. Plasma donation, otherwise known as plasmaphere sis, is the process in which a person donates the plasma but is not depleted of other blood components. “We are actually on a saline protocol, where we give saline [to the patient] at the end of the procedure, which replaces a good portion of the fluids we take,” Long said. According to Long, to donate plasma, the patient must have proper identification, proof of Social Security number, live with in 125 miles of the center, and must meet other re quirements. The patient must be be tween the ages of 18 and 59, weigh at least 110 pounds, and be in good health. “We try to insist that you have eaten a good meal and drink plenty of water. Plasma shoud be a light straw col or. Caffeine is not good ... it could mean that you are de hydrated or that you have too much fat in your diet,” Long said. Once all the paperwork is completed, a physical is done to make sure the patient is in good health. After the physi cal, the patient is taken to the donor’s floor, where the plasma is given. . Nabi uses a 17-gauge needle, which is a bit smaller than what the Red Cross uses. The patient can bleed anywhere from 30 to 45 minutes. “We take out a small amount of blood, extract the plas ma from it and then return the red cells to you. So you ac tually don’t lose any blood,” Long said. “A [first-time] donor will take about two and a half hours, but after that it should take 90 mintues. A new donor, donating 8 times in their first month, would make about $180,” Long said. Many people are worried about the transfer of diseases, but Nabi Biomedical Center is careful about which plas ma actually gets sent out and which gets rejected. “Every time you donate plasma, it is tested for HIV, ' hepatitis A, B and C, and other diseases. You have to have two sets of negative test results before we can qual ify you as a donor. Each.unit is fully tested before it leaves my center, so nothing leaves the center positive,” Long said. If a unit comes up positive, then the center notifies every customer that has purchased that unit of plasma so they can destroy it. “It’s harder to donate plasma than it is to get insurance. It really is because what you’re donating will be used on people who have weakened immune systems and there can’t be a chance that there is something wrong with it,” Long said. For more information on plasma donation, go to www.nabi.com. ‘It’s harder to donate plasma than it is to get insur- . ance. It really is because what you're donating will be used on people who have weakened immune sys tems and there can’t be a chance that anything is wrong with it.’ Samuel Long Center manager of Nabi Biomedical Center o Corner of Gervais St. {j o ^ HQ and Gadsden 0 Q 115# Across from Jillians o ! ««■»”u: 7I7»'.SS1, | 1 i *an eye exam & jj 0 *2 six packs of disposables 0 §Or Dr. C. Earl Loftis Jr. § 0 *an eye exam & Office hours: M-Th 9am-6pm 0 | *1 pair of daily wear lenses Fri. 9am-4pm g Now Leasing! For Fall... * •Washers and dryers in every apartment. •Individual leases. •Fully equipped kitchen. •Student service area with computers, faxes and copy availability. •Fully furnished two and four bedroom apartments. •Only one mile from USC. % •Swimming pool and hot tub. •Alarm systems in each bedroom. •Lighted tennis, basketball and volleyball courts. •Clubhouse with recreation and weight rooms. •Pool tables and foosball. •And many more amenities... T TNIVERSIT Y " HffiEEBEHB — - i l I 11 n 'ir II ll Office Hours Mon - Fri 9-5; Sat 10-4; Sun closed ’** 939-0444 800 Alexander Road Cayce, SC 29033 (Located adjocent to Parkland Plaza) www.capstone-dev.com I 'Carolina Student Judicial Council is accepting applications for new members. r—... a Student Government Office, Office of Student Judicial Programs, and tbe University Housing Office. 1 =—Applications are due March 3 m ■to the Student Government Office, m I CSJC consists of graduate and undergraduate students whose purpose is to uphold the ideals of the Carolina Creed by hearing and deciding outcomes for students alleged with violations of the Student Code of Conduct. / Beating' Witness to Violence » v » - w What is the Clothesline? The Clothesline Project provides an opportunity for female survivors of violence to paint a t-shirt expressing their inner sorrows and triumphs. These t-shirts are then displayed on Greene Street during Women’s History Month so that others can bear witness to the survivor’s experience. T-Shirts are color-coded in order to recognize the uniqueness of each Clothesline Participant’s violent encounter. White for women who have died from violence Yellow for women who have been battered/assaulted Pink for women who have been sexually assaulted Blue for women survivors of incest or child sexual abuse Purple for women attacked because of their sexual orientation - J How can I Participate? Students, Staff and Faculty female survivors, or those wishing to paint a t-shirt on behalf of a loved-one who has been subjected to violence, are welcome to paint a t-shirt at one of the on-campus sessions listed below: f ■ w r T-shirt painting sessions coming up... Tuesday, February 22, 2000 6:00-7:30 p.m. Towers Classroom & Old Columbia Hall Classroom Wednesday February 23,2000 6:00-7:30 p.m. Patterson Hall’s Grayson Room & Bates West Classroom For more information concerning the Clothesline Project, call USC’s Office of Sexual M Health Programs & Sexual Assault Services at 777-8248. Student Health Services • Department of Student Development • Division of Student 4 Alumni Services